166] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



as it is saiil, under General Friant, 

 entered that province. The capi- 

 tal, Stralsund, being very weakly 

 fortified, with a small garrison, 

 made no resistance to a colonel 

 who was sent to take possession ot" 

 it on the 26th, and who required 

 quarters and provisions, saying, 

 in answer to a demand of payment 

 for the latter, " It is our custom 

 and orders, that the country in 

 which we are should furnish us 

 with every thing needful." Friant 

 entered on the following day; and 

 when the Swedish general Peyron 

 informed him that he should resist 

 the occupation of the Isle of 

 Rugen, the Frenrh general told 

 liim that he was his prisoner, and 

 put seals on the custom-house. A 

 body of 2,000 men was drawn out 

 with the intention of marching to 

 Rugen over the ice; but the lieu- 

 tenant who commanded a small 

 fortress there, resolutely declaring 

 that he would repel force by force, 

 they were for the present remand- 

 ed. The purpose of this unwar- 

 rantable seizure of Ponierania was 

 evidently that the French emperor 

 might have a pledge in his hands 

 to influence the conduct of Sweden 

 in the approaching contest. Rugen 

 was afterwards occupied by the 

 French, the vessels and packets on 

 the coast were detained for their 

 service, and the French colours 

 were hoisted in place of the Swe- 

 dish. In February, a fleet arriv- 

 ing ofi^ Stralsund with General 

 Engelbrecht on board, to ascer- 

 tain the state of the French troops 

 in Ponierania, and bring back those 

 of Sweden, no communication 

 with the shore was ]iermitted, and 

 All correspondence with the general 

 was declined by the FreiKh cona- 



mander, so tliat the fleet was 

 obliged to sail back without effect- 

 ing any thing. 



The French conservative senate 

 held a sitting on March J 0th, at 

 which the Dukeof Bassano (Maret), 

 minister for foreign affairs, deli- 

 vered in a report, the substance 

 of which was, an invective against 

 the maritime policy of England, 

 and an exposition and eulogy of 

 all the measures taken by the 

 Emperor for a>serting the liberty 

 of the seas, and retaliating her 

 arbitrary measures. In this |)iece 

 it is explicitly declared, that " till 

 the British orders of council are 

 rescinded, and the principles of 

 the treaty of Utrecht towards neu- 

 trals are again in full vigour, the 

 Berlin and 3Iilan decrees will re- 

 main against those powers who 

 allow their flags to be denation- 

 alised." A report of the minister 

 of war follows, which begins with 

 telling the Emperor that " the 

 greatest j)art of his Majesty's 

 troops have been called out of the 

 territory for the defence of the 

 grand interests which are to ensure 

 the preponderance of the empire, 

 and maintain the 3Iilan and Berlin 

 decrees so fatal to England," It goes 

 on to slate the inconveniences which 

 have arisen from committing the 

 guard of the maritime places and 

 establishments, during the absence 

 of the troops of the line, to the 

 fifth battalions, depots, and marine 

 troops ; and it proposes a division 

 of the national guards into three 

 bands, of which the first is to be 

 composed of all the conscripts from 

 180Gtol812 who have not been 

 called to the army, and have not 

 since married, out of which cohorts 

 are to be formed, constantly under 



arms 



